Updated — Nov. 8, 2.20 p.m. ET
WASHINGTON — President Obama announced Saturday that he is nominating U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch to replace outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder.
Lynch, the chief federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York, would be the first black woman to serve as the nation's top law enforcement officer.
At a ceremony in the Roosevelt Room of the White House, President Obama described Lynch, 55, as a "tough and fair" prosecutor who deserves Senate confirmation without delay.
"She has spent years in the trenches as a prosecutor, aggressively fighting terrorism, financial fraud, cybercrime, all while vigorously defending civil rights," Obama said.
"Loretta might be the only lawyer in America who battles mobsters and drug lords and terrorists, and still has the reputation for being a charming people person," he said.
Accepting the nomination, Lynch thanked the president for placing his trust in her.
"I pledge today to you and to the American people that if I have the honor of being confirmed by the Senate, I will wake up every morning with the protection of the American people my first thought," she said. "And I will work every day to safeguard our citizens, our liberties, our rights, and this great nation which have given so much to me and my family."
The president also thanked Eric Holder, the outgoing attorney general, for his service, describing America as "safer and freer" as a result.
In a statement to the press on Friday evening, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest praised Lynch's record of public service.
"Ms. Lynch is a strong, independent prosecutor who has twice led one of the most important U.S. Attorney's Offices in the country," Earnest said. "She will succeed Eric Holder, whose tenure has been marked by historic gains in the areas of criminal justice reform and civil rights enforcement."
The Alliance for Justice, a generally progressive group that tracks judicial and other legal nominations, strongly backed Lynch for the role.
"In addition to handling major cases involving everything from police brutality to cybercrime, Lynch is a key policy advisor to Eric Holder. We are confident that Lynch will build on Holder's strong legacy of standing up for civil rights and ensuring equal justice for all Americans," AFJ president Nan Aron said in a statement. "We call on Ms. Lynch to take a leading role in addressing the Supreme Court's repeated efforts to deny access to the courts and the ballot box."
The nomination was initially reported by CNN on Friday. Administration officials said early Friday evening that Obama would nominate Lynch on Saturday.
At the regular press briefing Friday, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest declined to comment on the report and said no attorney general decision has been made.
"I know that there is a lot of attention around some news reports indicating that the president's prepared to announce his nominee to be the next attorney general," he said. "The president has not made a decision on that, and we're not going to have any personnel announcements on that matter at all today."
Latino advocacy groups had been pressuring the White House to nominate Labor Secretary Tom Perez to replace Holder. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli Jr., the Justice Department's top Supreme Court lawyer, also had been discussed as a possible pick.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials — one of the groups that pushed Perez's name for the attorney general job — said he was "disappointed" Perez didn't get the nomination. But he said Lynch was someone Latino advocates can work with, and he didn't expect much public outcry from the Latino groups that pushed Perez.
"There's no net loss here," Vargas said, noting there are three Latino members of Obama's cabinet. "Perez remains as Labor Secretary."
Perez was a former head of the Department of Justice's civil rights division and had a background that energized civil rights advocates. Lynch has had less experience with voting rights and some of the other key points of focus for Holder's Department of Justice, but a former assistant to Perez while he led the civil rights division said Lynch has the record to continue on the issues Holder has focused on.
"I doubt it will mean much of a change," Samuel Bagenstos, who is now a professor at University of Michigan law school, wrote in an email. "Lynch's office has one of the more active civil rights units of any US Attorney's office, and I think she's been very supportive of their work."
Adam Serwer contributed reporting.
